Humza Yousaf steps down as Scotland’s first minister
Humza Yousaf has announced he is stepping down as first minister and Scottish National party leader, little more than a year since he was elected.
Yousaf told a press conference at Bute House, his official residence, on Monday he would remain in post until his successor was elected to ensure a “smooth and orderly transition”.
He said: “After spending the weekend reflecting on what is best for my party, for the government and for the country I lead, I’ve concluded that repairing our relationship across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm. I have therefore informed the SNP’s national secretary of my intention to stand down as party leader.”
Appearing to fight back tears, he paid tribute to his family, saying: “I am in absolute debt to my wonderful wife, my beautiful children and my wider family for putting up with me over the years. I’m afraid you will be seeing a lot more of me from now. You are truly everything to me.”
Yousaf had been facing two confidence votes at Holyrood in the coming days in a spiralling crisis precipitated by his axing of the governing partnership with the Scottish Greens last Thursday.
The Greens responded by announcing hours later they would support a motion of no confidence in Yousaf’s leadership brought by the Scottish Conservatives.
Without the support of the Greens and with the SNP two votes short of a majority, this left Yousaf reliant on the vote of Ash Regan, who defected from the SNP last year to join Alex Salmond’s Alba party in protest at a lack of progress on independence and the Scottish government’s stance on gender recognition changes.
Yousaf, who was Scotland’s first leader of Asian and Muslim heritage, scrapped the Bute House agreement, which was brokered by his predecessor
Nicola Sturgeon in 2021 and cemented a progressive, pro-independence majority at Holyrood, after increasing internal criticism within the SNP of Green influence on policy direction.
The Scottish Green party had been planning its own vote on the future of the agreement after members reacted angrily to the scrapping of climate targets and an NHS Scotland decision to pause the prescription of puberty blockers following the publication of the Cass review.
Yousaf has faced a series of challenges since his election, including the continuing police investigation into party finances that resulted in the arrest of Sturgeon and her husband, the former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, being charged with embezzlement.
Responding to Yousaf’s announcement, the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, called for an election. “The SNP are a divided party which is out of ideas and incapable of rising to the challenges Scotland faces,” he said.
“They cannot impose another unelected first minister on Scotland in a backroom deal; the people of Scotland should decide who leads our country. There must be an election – it’s time for change and Scottish Labour is ready to deliver it.”